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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · rush · chip · perch · deal · face · ruler · clip

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to point toward
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. perch — the fish
  8. clip — for paper
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — to handle
  17. clip — a video
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — a big deal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com